St. Lawrence College students prepare fire trucks for Belarus

2009-02-11

Approximately 32 St. Lawrence College pre-service firefighter students are busy preparing three fire trucks to be sent to Belarus. The trucks will provide fire protection for communities that are unable to afford the expensive equipment. This project is being organized through Canadian Aid for Chernobyl. They are aiming to have the trucks ready by February 14. The trucks were donated by the City of Kingston, and area.

The work is being completed at Sherwood Packaging in Brockville just a block east of the St. Lawrence College campus, where the trucks are currently stored. They students will be compounding the paint to remove oxidation on one truck and waxing all three.

"Thoroughly cleaning a fire truck is a fairly lengthy and time consuming process. We'll also empty out he compartments and clean them. It won't be possible to load the trucks before shipping because the equipment must be shipped separately in sealed containers," said Gary Rutley, program coordinator, Pre-Service Firefighter. "It's been a great introduction to the type of community involvement that people have come to expect from firefighters and the students have responded enthusiastically."

"It’s a great feeling to be a part of this effort," said student Rocky Peterson "We take fire protection for granted in Canada, and this project has really opened my eyes to the needs of some very economically depressed regions of the world. It’s been an amazing learning experience."